| Jul 12 | Tokyo stocks edge lower as post-election uncertainty weighs (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks edged lower Monday, erasing earlier gains made on a weaker yen as political uncertainty weighed on the market after the ruling coalition suffered a major defeat in Sunday's upper house election. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 37.21 points, or 0.39 percent, from Friday to 9,548.11. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 3.51 points, or 0.41 percent, to 857.70. |
| Jul 09 | Nikkei closes up 0.52%, but trade stifled by political uncertainty (Xinhua) |
| Tokyo stocks added to the previous day's gains as a solid performance on Wall Street overnight bolstered investor sentiment Friday, further buoyed by broader Asian stocks rising, but nerves about Sunday's upper house election sent some players to the sidelines amid political uncertainty in Japan. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 49.58 points, or 0.52 percent, to 9,585.32, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 0.19 point, or 0. 02 percent, to close the week at 861.21. |
| Jul 08 | Nikkei surges 2.76 pct on U.S. rally, chip shares jump (Xinhua) |
| Tokyo stocks reversed losses Wednesday with the key benchmark Nikkei surging almost 3 percent on Thursday as Wall Street's overnight rally coupled with a weaker yen lifted investor mood and doused fears about the global economic recovery, ahead of the highly anticipated U.S. earnings season. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average climbed 256.09 points, or 2. 76 percent, from Wednesday to 9,535.74, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange advanced 19.51 points, or 2.32 percent, to 861.02. |
| Jul 07 | Tokyo shares fall on strong yen, weak Asian stock markets (AP) |
| Tokyo shares fell Wednesday as a strong yen and weak Asian stock markets dampened investor sentiment amid worries that the global economic recovery may be losing steam. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 58.39 points, or 0.63 percent, from Tuesday to 9,279.65. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 5.73 points, or 0.68 percent, at 841.51. |
| Jul 06 | Tokyo stocks rise on China stock gains, yen's retreat (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks ended higher Tuesday as gains in Chinese stocks and the yen's slight retreat boosted investor sentiment, with the key Nikkei stock index coming off a fresh seven-month intraday low hit earlier in the morning. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 71.26 points, or 0.77 percent, from Monday to finish at 9,338.04 after falling as low as 9,091.70, the lowest intraday level since Nov. 27, when the index hit 9,076.41. |
| Jul 05 | Nikkei closes 0.69 pct up, consumer lenders soar (Xinhua) |
| Tokyo stocks advanced Monday as investors sought bargains following the markets' recent losses and short-covering in exporters was prompted by a weaker yen against the euro. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 63.07 points, or 0.69 percent, from Friday to 9,266.78, meanwhile the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 5.91 points, or 0.71 percent, to 836.89. Shares of Japanese consumer lenders jumped Monday following news that strict new regulations on lending may be eased in special deregulated zones in Osaka Prefecture. |
| Jul 02 | Nikkei hits 7-month closing low, breaks key support (Asahi) |
| Japan's Nikkei average fell 2 percent on Thursday, breaking a key support to hit a seven-month closing low, with market players citing a rise in risk avoidance underscored by falls on Wall Street, a higher yen and slower China manufacturing growth. Market players said the Nikkei's next target is just above 9,000, a low tested in November and July 2009, after the index broke 9,200, near the 50 percent retracement from the Nikkei's March 2009 low to its high in April. |
| Jul 01 | Nikkei closes down 2.04% at fresh 7-month low (Xinhua) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Thursday with Nikkei stock average slumping to a fresh seven-month closing low as a strong yen continued to chip away at export-related issues and mounting concerns over the global economic recovery ensured investors remained close-fisted. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average declined 191.04 points, or 2. 04 percent, from Wednesday to 9,191.60, marking a fifth straight day of negative closes and the lowest finish since late November. |
| Jul 01 | Bond Bulls Find Shelter in Upside-Down 'Haven': William Pesek (BusinessWeek) |
| Only in a world that's truly out of whack is Japanese debt a haven. Ten-year bonds issued by the industrialized nation with the biggest debt yield just 1.07 percent, a seven-year low. Never mind that rapidly aging Japan is home to some of the ugliest demographic trends anywhere. Money is zooming into yen- denominated assets to avoid global turbulence. It's not 100 percent irrational. Prime Minister Naoto Kan pledges to trim debt that's almost twice the size of Japan's $4.9 trillion economy. Deepening deflation also means a rally in stocks is about as likely as the Bank of Japan raising interest rates this year. Seeking shelter in Japanese debt is a bit nutty, though, when you consider what tends to happen when yields get to today's levels. It rarely goes well for Japan bond bulls. |
| Jul 01 | Shareholders fight the power / Boards roasted at annual meetings as new rules give investors more sway (Yomiuri) |
| Reviews of the business year ending in March have been taking place across the nation, with Tuesday alone seeing 1,088 firms hold their annual shareholder meeting. Shareholder meetings this year have seen heated discussion, after new regulations were introduced requiring firms to show greater accountability and give greater weight to shareholder opinions. Under the changes, firms must now disclose how shareholders voted on each motion--rather than merely whether the motion was passed. Shareholders are therefore aware of which motions were approved despite a number of dissenting votes. |
| Jun 30 | Nikkei closes at 7-month low amid economic worries, strong yen (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index tumbled to a seven-month closing low on Wednesday, as investor sentiment took a beating from growing uncertainty about the strength of the global economic recovery and a strong yen hurt exporter shares. Extending its losing streak to the fourth straight trading day, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 188.03 points, or 1.96 percent, from Tuesday to 9,382.64, the lowest close since Nov. 30 last year when the index finished at 9,345.55. |
| Jun 30 | Over 9 tril. yen profit raised by managing pension reserves in FY 2009 (AP) |
| Profits from managing accumulated pension reserves are estimated to have totaled over 9 trillion yen in fiscal 2009, in what would be the first profitable asset management for a single fiscal year in three years, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The estimated profit marks the highest since fiscal 2001 when the state began managing pension reserves by investing in financial markets in a full-fledged manner. The management result for fiscal 2009 that ended March 31 would be a sharp reversal from fiscal 2008 when the worst-ever 9.67 trillion yen of management loss was logged due to global financial market turbulence in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September 2008. A moderate recovery in stock and other financial markets helped the state to recover the loss in fiscal 2009. |
| Jun 29 | Nikkei closes at 3-wk low as yen gains, Asian stocks fall (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index fell to a nearly three-week closing low on Tuesday as a stronger yen hurt exporter shares, while a slump in Asian stock markets added to the bearish sentiment amid uncertainty about the global economy. Erasing earlier gains, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 123.27 points, or 1.27 percent, from Monday to 9,570.67, the lowest close since June 10, when it ended at 9,542.65. |
| Jun 29 | Tokyo bourse: no fuss over majority-owned listings (Reuters) |
| Most investors in Japan do not want a ban on the listing of majority-owned subsidiaries, even though the practice is often blamed for causing lax corporate governance, an executive at the Tokyo Stock Exchange said. Some 350 Japanese companies are controlled by parent firms that are also listed on an exchange. The practice is seen as a problem because of the risk that the parent company will manage the subsidiary to their benefit and without regard for the rights of minority shareholders. |
| Jun 28 | Tokyo stocks fall as strong yen weighs, market awaits fresh cues (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Monday as a stronger yen hurt exporter shares and weighed on investor sentiment, but trading was quiet as the market awaited fresh cues. Ending at a fresh two-week low, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 43.54 points, or 0.45 percent, from Friday to 9,693.94, the lowest closing level since June 10 when it ended at 9,542.65. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 6.50 points, or 0.75 percent, to 860.80. |
| Jun 28 | Japan must up foreign investment: securities body (Reuters) |
| More effort must be made to lure foreign investors back to Japanese stocks, including better corporate governance and specific, targeted products, the head of a Japanese investment organization said on Monday. Foreign investment, long a key driver of Japanese market activity, has fallen off recently after a period of heavy buying at the end of last year and early this year. Prior to the week of June 13 to 18, foreign investors were net sellers for six straight weeks, dumping a net 1.92 trillion yen ($21.5 billion) of Japanese stocks. |
| Jun 26 | Japan as a haven speaks to state of other economies (theglobeandmail.com) |
| It tells you something about the state of some other industrialized countries when people are flocking to Japan to invest their money. In particular, Japanese government bonds have been flying off the shelves lately, as sovereign-default-fearful bond investors flood out of Europe and into safer havens. The result has been a sharp drop in Japanese bond yields - the 10-year Japanese government bond is yielding as low as it did in the depths of the financial crisis in late 2008. |
| Jun 26 | Japan's Mizuho boosts planned share offer to $9.6 bln (Reuters) |
| Japan's No.2 bank, Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), said it would raise a slightly higher-than-expected $9.6 billion in a previously flagged global offering that will boost its shares outstanding by 38 percent. Mizuho had registered last month to raise up to 800 billion yen ($8.93 billion) in a common share issue to prepare for stricter capital requirements for banks, but held off launching the offering due to weak market conditions. |
| Jun 25 | Nikkei falls below support to two-week closing low (Reuters) |
| Japan's Nikkei average extended falls on Friday for its biggest weekly loss in a month, closing below a key support level in what market players said could signal still more drops to come. Fresh signs of weakness in U.S. consumer spending that have raised concerns about the outlook for corporate earnings sparked much of the selling. The Nikkei shed 1.9 percent on Friday and 2.6 percent for the week to close below its 25-day moving average, a proxy for a one-month moving average that is keenly watched in Japan. |
| Jun 24 | Tokyo stocks end mixed, U.S. economic outlook weighs (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks ended mixed in light trading Thursday as sentiment got some support from firm Asian stock markets but the U.S. Federal Reserve's softer economic assessment and weak housing data weighed on the market. After briefly crossing the key 10,000 mark, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished up 4.64 points, or 0.05 percent, from Wednesday to 9,928.34. |
| Jun 23 | Nikkei closes at 1-week low after weak U.S. data, stronger yen (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell sharply Wednesday, with the Nikkei stock index losing nearly 2 percent to close at a one-week low, as investor confidence in the U.S. economy sagged and a stronger yen against the dollar and the euro hurt exporter shares. Falling below the psychologically important 10,000 threshold for the first time since Friday, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 189.19 points, or 1.87 percent, from Tuesday to 9,923.70, the lowest closing level since June 15. |
| Jun 23 | NTT Data Shares Drop on Worker Arrest in Bribery Case (BusinessWeek) |
| NTT Data Corp., the network-services unit of Japan's largest phone company, fell the most in 17 months in Tokyo trading after the company said one of its employees had been arrested on suspicion of bribing a bureaucrat. The shares declined 7.7 percent to 353,000 yen as of 10:19 a.m. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the biggest drop since Jan. 23, 2009. The stock was the worst performing member of the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average, which retreated 1.7 percent. |
| Jun 23 | Japan public pension fund may need asset split -panel (Reuters) |
| Japan's $1.35 trillion public pension fund may need to split its asset management into two portions -- one for safe assets and one seeking higher returns, a government panel said in an interim report on Wednesday. Such a move could make the fund more transparent to the public, the report said. But opinions in the panel were divided on the issue, with some also saying that it could complicate matters and be more costly, and that the overall asset allocation should remain unchanged. |
| Jun 22 | Tokyo stocks decline as investors lock in gains after Nikkei's surge (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Tuesday as investors locked in gains with the Nikkei stock index coming off Monday's one-month closing high, while eyes were on the yuan's movement following China's recent announcement to allow for more flexibility. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 125.12 points, or 1.22 percent, from Monday to 10,112.89. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 7.93 points, or 0.88 percent, to 894.56. Nearly all 33 sectors on the TSE fell, with the oil and coal products sector being the biggest decliner, ahead of the miscellaneous sector that includes printing companies and game giant Nintendo and the mining sector. The only gainers were banking issues. |
| Jun 21 | Nikkei stock index closes at 1-month high after China's yuan decision (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index surged more than 2 percent to hit a one-month closing high on Monday as China's decision to allow for more flexibility in the yuan's movement kept the yen from gaining strength and boosted investor sentiment about the global economy. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average advanced 242.99 points, or 2.43 percent, from Friday to 10,238.01, the highest closing level since May 18 when it ended at 10,242.64. |
| Jun 18 | Nikkei books biggest weekly gain in 3 months (Reuters) |
| Japan's Nikkei average closed flat on Friday but chalked up a 3 percent gain for the week, its biggest weekly rise in three months, with foreign investors starting to tiptoe back into the market. The benchmark average, which stayed within a sight of a one-month high hit earlier in the week, moved in and out of negative territory throughout the day, with support holding near its 25-day moving average of 9,800. Market players said that as risk avoidance ebbs, the market looks poised to move slowly higher. The Nikkei faces resistance near 10,200, about where the Nikkei's 50-week moving average comes in, and around 10,300, its 200-day moving average. |
| Jun 17 | Nikkei ends 5-day winning streak as investors lock in gains (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Thursday as investors locked in recent gains, with the key Nikkei stock index ending its five-day winning streak. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 67.75 points, or 0.67 percent, from Wednesday to 9,999.40. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 4.90 points, or 0.55 percent, to 887.48. |
| Jun 16 | Nikkei ends above 10,000 for 1st time in a month (AP) |
| Japan's key stock index surged Wednesday to end above 10,000 for the first time in nearly a month, as an overnight rally on Wall Street and a stabilizing euro against the yen amid eased worries about sovereign debt problems in the eurozone boosted investor confidence and benefited exporter shares. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average advanced 179.26 points, or 1.81 percent, from Tuesday to 10,067.15, ending above the psychologically important level for the first time since May 20. The Nikkei has risen for five straight trading sessions, or more than 6 percent, in its longest winning streak of the year. |
| Jun 15 | Tokyo stocks end flat as Asian stocks firm but caution remains (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks ended flat Tuesday after a downgrade of Greek government bonds prompted some investors to sell following recent gains but a stabilizing yen and firm Asian stock markets provided underlying support to market sentiment. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 8.04 points, or 0.08 percent, from Monday to 9,887.89. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 0.27 point, or 0.03 percent, to 878.83. |
| Jun 15 | Tokyo stocks open lower after sharp gains, European debt woes weigh (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks opened slightly lower Tuesday as investors took profits on sharp gains the previous day, with a downgrade of Greece's government bonds weighing on investor sentiment. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 33.89 points, or 0.34 percent, from Monday to 9,845.96. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 1.70 points, or 0.19 percent, to 876.86. The Second Section rose. |
| Jun 12 | Japan retail fund value drops $54 bln on debt crisis (Reuters) |
| The value of investment trust funds targeting Japanese retail investors fell by $54 billion in May -- the largest drop since October 2008 -- as Europe's debt crisis weighed on global shares and lifted the yen, data from an industry body showed on Friday. Market turmoil stemming from debt woes in Greece and other European countries pushed down Japan's broader Topix index by 11 percent and the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI by 8 percent during the month. In addition, the value of publicly placed investment funds known as "toushin" was also hit by the strength of the yen, especially versus the euro. It surged by more than 10 percent against the European currency in May. |
| Jun 12 | Japan sovereign CDS may start to shake JGB market (Reuters) |
| Hedge funds and foreign investors are building up protection on Japanese government bonds in the credit default swaps market, underscoring persistent worries about Japan's poor fiscal health and suggesting that JGBs could be shaken by CDS moves in the near future. The outstanding volume of CDS written on JGBs has doubled in the past eight months as Europe's sovereign debt crisis has made anxious banks and investors hedge their exposure to Japan, the most heavily indebted of the major economies. |
| Jun 12 | How much does a CEO make? / The public will soon know with new executive pay disclosure rule (Yomiuri) |
| A new rule from the Financial Services Agency requiring company executives making over 100 million yen a year to disclose the amount of pay they receive has provoked a backlash from listed companies. In annual securities reports announced after shareholder meetings in June, domestically listed companies must disclose the names of executives who received more than 100 million yen in a year in fiscal 2009 as well as their salary. However, as the rule was decided on after only a short period, many listed companies have voiced strong criticism that the issue was not adequately discussed. Compared with European and U.S. companies, executive salaries are said to be low in Japan, and some companies claim that disclosing individual names is going too far. |
| Jun 11 | Tokyo stocks rise as yen weakens, euro worries recede (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose sharply Friday as a weaker yen against the euro boosted investor sentiment amid receding worries about debt woes in Europe. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average advanced 162.60 points, or 1.70 percent, from Thursday to 9,705.25. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 9.65 points, or 1.13 percent, to 866.44. |
| Jun 10 | Tokyo stocks rise on Chinese economic data, weaker yen (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Thursday after strong Chinese economic data improved investor sentiment amid market jitters about debt woes in Europe, with the euro's slight recovery against the yen also providing a catalyst for picking up shares that had fallen sharply. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average advanced 103.52 points, or 1.10 percent, from Wednesday to 9,542.65, coming off a six-month closing low the previous day. |
| Jun 09 | Tokyo stocks fall as debt woes in Europe, stronger yen weigh (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks fell Wednesday morning, with the key Nikkei stock index briefly hitting a two-week intraday low, as investors continued to fret about debt problems in Europe and a weaker euro against the yen. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 93.79 points, or 0.98 percent, from Tuesday to 9,444.15, after hitting 9,398.67, the lowest intraday level since May 27. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 6.34 points, or 0.74 percent, to 851.99. |
| Jun 09 | Women Prefer Men Holding State Bonds, Japan Ad Says (BusinessWeek) |
| Japanese women are seeking men who invest in government bonds, according to an advertisement being run by the Ministry of Finance. "I want my future husband to be diligent about money," a 27-year-old woman says in an ad being run in free magazines promoting a fixed-rate, three-year note that Japan started selling last week. "Playboys are no good." She's one of five women featured in the page, which says "Men who hold JGBs are popular with women!!" |
| Jun 08 | Tokyo stocks mixed as yen's retreat gives relief, euro woes linger (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks ended mixed Tuesday as the yen's retreat against the euro gave some relief to investors, while caution remained about looming debt woes in Europe. Drifting in and out of negative territory, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 17.14 points, or 0.18 percent, from Monday to 9,537.94. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 0.88 point, or 0.10 percent, to 858.33. |
| Jun 07 | Nikkei plunges 3.8% on fresh Europe debt worries, weak U.S. jobs data (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index tumbled 3.8 percent on Monday as investor confidence took a beating amid worries about a potential debt crisis in Hungary and disappointing U.S. jobs data, with the yen's strength against the euro hurting exporter shares. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 380.39 points, or 3.84 percent, from Friday to 9,520.80, marking the largest one-day percentage fall since March 30, 2009. |
| Jun 04 | Nikkei edges up; eyes on next Japan PM, U.S. jobs (Reuters) |
| Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.4 percent after its biggest one-day gain in six months a day earlier, with the market keen to see if Finance Minister Naoto Kan will become Japan's next prime minister and the results of U.S. jobs data. Kan, who has forged an image as a fiscal conservative and occasional central bank critic since assuming the finance post in January, looked set to win. |
| Jun 03 | Nikkei surges to 2-week closing high on weak yen, Asian stock gains (AP) |
| Japan's key Nikkei stock index surged more than 3 percent on Thursday to end at a two-week closing high, as a weaker yen benefited exporter shares and strong Asian stocks gave an additional boost to a market that had been battered by eurozone debt woes. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 310.95 points, or 3.24 percent, from Wednesday to 9,914.19, the highest closing level since May 20 and the largest one-day percentage gain since Dec. 3.last year. |
| Jun 03 | Japan's capital spending falls in Jan.-March, as cautiousness lingers (AP) |
| Japan's capital spending in the January-March quarter fell for the 12th straight quarter, although the pace of decline narrowed, as companies were still cautious about spending amid lingering uncertainty over future prospects, the government said Thursday. Capital expenditure for all industries excluding the financial and insurance sectors dropped 11.5 percent to 11,142.9 billion yen, slower than the 17.3 percent drop in the previous period, according to a report by the Finance Ministry. |
| Jun 02 | Tokyo stocks rise as yen weakens after Hatoyama steps down (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Wednesday morning as political uncertainty receded after Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama decided to step down, prompting stocks to trim earlier losses and the yen to retreat. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 35.71 points, or 0.37 percent, from Tuesday to 9,747.54. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 1.75 points, or 0.20 percent, to 881.79. |
| Jun 02 | TSE share value falls 35 trillion yen in May (Yomiuri) |
| The total market value of shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section fell about 35 trillion yen in May, officials said. Stock prices at the TSE hit the lowest level since October 2008, shortly after the "Lehman shock." In May, global stock markets faced a chain reaction of falling prices triggered by the financial crisis in Greece. In the past month, the Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selected issues fell 1,288 points, or 11.7 percent. |
| Jun 01 | Japan to exempt foreigners from corporate bond tax (Reuters) |
| Japan hopes to lure overseas investors to corporate bonds by temporarily abolishing taxes on interest income starting next month, but analysts say it may face an uphill battle due to low domestic interest rates. Out of some 68.1 trillion yen ($748 billion) in Japanese corporate bonds outstanding as of March 2009, foreigners held a mere 0.6 percent. One reason, Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA) officials say, is that overseas investors have until now been charged a 15 percent withholding tax on interest income they gain from Japanese corporate bonds. |
| May 31 | Tokyo stocks edge up on weaker yen in thin end-of-month trading (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks edged higher Monday as a weaker yen against the euro prompted investors to pick up stocks that had been sold heavily, although trading remained thin on the final day of a month that saw sharp falls amid worries about the eurozone. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 5.72 points, or 0.06 percent, from Friday to 9,768.70. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 1.94 points, or 0.22 percent, at 880.46. |
| May 31 | Japan to disappoint on debt policy, stocks at risk (forexyard.com) |
| Displease voters ahead of upper house elections expected in July by taking a firm hand to Japan's tattered public finances or risk a credit ratings downgrade and opt for loose, mostly symbolic fiscal goals? The Democratic Party-led government will decide next month which of the two options to take and despite attacks by the opposition who argue that the Greek crisis pointed to the need for stronger steps, analysts are convinced the government will go for a soft approach. The consequences of such a decision, however, could be more than a sovereign credit downgrade and a decline in the bond market that investors may be prepared for. In fact it is the stock market that could suffer more, they say. |
| May 28 | Tokyo stocks rise as weaker yen lifts mood, eurozone worries ease (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Friday as a weaker yen against the euro and eased eurozone worries provided some relief to investors after China denied a media report that the Asian powerhouse is concerned about its exposure to eurozone bonds amid the debt crisis plaguing the euro area. Rising for the third straight day, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 123.26 points, or 1.28 percent, from Thursday to 9,762.98. |
| May 28 | Big investors resist major stock sell off (Reuters) |
| Institutional investors hung on to their equities exposure more than might have been thought in May, given extreme volatility on financial markets, but also put more money in safe-haven cash, Reuters polls showed on Thursday. Demand for alternatives, which include gold, rose. But perhaps surprisingly in the face of regional crisis, investors increased exposure to euro zone equities. Surveys of 47 leading investment houses in the United States, Japan, Britain and continental Europe showed an average mixed portfolio holding 52.3 percent of its holdings in equities. |
| May 27 | Tokyo stocks rise as softer yen boosts sentiment (AP) |
| Tokyo stocks rose Thursday as a softer yen boosted exporter shares, although concerns remained about the eurozone debt crisis and the ailing euro. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average pared earlier losses and ended the day 117.06 points, or 1.23 percent, higher from Wednesday at 9,639.72. The index briefly fell below 9,400 in the morning to a fresh six-month intraday low of 9,395.29 after an overnight fall on Wall Street and a news report that China is reviewing its holdings of eurozone debt. |